Hearts' Expansions
by Iambic Brose
Summary: Hot, and cold. More, and less. Fire, and water. Maxie and Archie, no matter what universe, are always meant for one another. It sometimes takes a while to get there, however. (Drabble Collection)
1. Autumn (Post-Game)

**A/N: Welcome to our first uploaded Hardenshipping content! This particular drabble is meant to take place post-Sapphire/Ruby. The vague background is that, after having worked on Team Rocket together, Maxie and Archie split up to start their respective teams, and the end of the games led to them reuniting again and working together to better the world.**

* * *

Archie still couldn't believe they had made it. Years of fighting and struggling and being apart and now here he was with Maxie walking around town with their pokemon close by as they went _shopping_ of all things. "I don't understand people's obsession with that drink," Maxie sniffed. "It smells like a Ghastly."

"Which drink?" Archie sniffed the air himself, not smelling anything too awful - then again, Maxie did tend to exaggerate.

"That coffee that you can't escape from this time of year. I tried it once. It's awful."

"The pumpkin stuff, right?" It took more effort than it should have to not laugh, his Granbull sniffing at the air herself and running around their legs. "It's not that bad."

"It is-" A breeze blew past them and Maxie complained, "And this air always chills me to the bone!"

"The real reason you love fire pokemon. They keep you warm." Archie shrugged out of his jacket and juggled the bags around that he was holding, finally managing to drop the jacket over Maxie's shoulders. Maxie huffed, pulling the coat tighter around himself.

"You know, this is the only reason I keep you around." It wasn't hard to see that small, hidden little smile of Maxie's, Archie unable to help himself from stepping closer to him.

"Yeah, I know. I made a good bodyguard for a reason, ya know."

"You made for an awful bodyguard! You lazed about all day, ate my food, and constantly annoyed me!"

"Someone needed to get you to stop being so uptight," Archie laughed, loud and bright, the sound tapering off as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose where that stupid scar still itched even now. "Besides, I was good when it counted."

"Hmph. I suppose you may have done alright," Maxie mumbled, bumping his shoulder.

"Fuck you, I was amazing." Archie snuck a kiss to Maxie's cheek, smiling softly. "C'mon, we should get this stuff home."

"Fine." Just then, a leaf blew into Maxie's face. " _I hate this stupid season!_ "

"C'mon, Autumn never did anything bad," Archie cackled, peeling the leaf off Maxie's face and oh, yeah. He _loved_ Autumn.


	2. Ropes (Post-Game)

**A/N: Simply enough, this takes place after the events of the game(s), one of them has brought back one of the legendaries and was defeated by the player. Now, they are working together as a part of Team Expansion to expand the oceans for the pokemon, while also creating more habitable land. ~Kas**

* * *

It had been three days. Maxie had been stuck at the town library for _three days_ doing research and whatever else it was he did - which was stupid because they weren't- Fuck, they were supposed to just take it one day at a time and live in this new world without any evil or crazy plans. That didn't work when Maxie had slipped back into Researcher mode. Archie gave a rough shake of his head, grabbing a coil of rope. Seemed a good length. "Shells. Matt. 'M goin' out."

"With rope?" Shelly raised her eyebrows before dropping them and narrowing her eyes. "Are you going fishing without us?"

"Yeah. Let's say that." Archie huffed and wrapped the coil around his arm. "Be back soon."

"Have fun, Cap'n," Matt called after him, Archie already focused on his plans as he left and headed towards the library. He was halfway there when he called out Fighter. "You're my backup." Fighter beamed up at him and cuddled him, walking the same direction.

It didn't take long to get to the library, Maxie in the middle with _so much research._ "Alright, so then, theoretically... But then who would _that_ displace..."

"It's worse than I thought," Archie muttered, sliding his rope in his hands and eyeing the area for the best possible path of attack. This was so familiar he could almost picture them from years ago and wearing that familiar logo of Team Rocket. "Fighter. Distract him by being cute." Fighter ran over to Maxie immediately, cooing.

"Hello, Fighter-" Maxie froze, slowly looking up. "Archie."

"Maxie." Archie let Maxie realize just what a position he was in before he was pouncing. He had tied up bigger and this was only going to take a few seconds.

"Archie- Archie let me _go!_ What are you doing?!" But damn, he was squirmy. All gangly, too. It was harder than he thought, but it was still easy enough to tie Maxie up with the rope, looping it around him so he couldn't even _crawl_ away - or at least, if he did, then he wouldn't get very far. " _Archibald!_ Untie me!"

"Nope," Archie grinned, scooping Maxie into his arms as easily as he would Fighter. "You've been in here for three days. Time for a break."

"Let me go! I was close to a breakthrough!"

"You can come back to it." Archie didn't let his grip slack at all as he carried Maxie back towards their small apartment that they had gotten together. It was a bit hard with all of Maxie's flailing, but he was at least used to it.

" _No_ I can't!" Ah, Maxie. Five years and he still thought that worked.

"You'll get a new breakthrough, then." Archie shifted Maxie, growling at some of the squirming. "Do I need to tighten those ropes?"

"Archie, no- _Master Ball!_ " Considering how much time had passed, Archie was rather impressed that he remembered Maxie's safewords so clearly. It only took him a few seconds to have Maxie back on his feet and the ropes tugged in just the right way to give the slack that they could be safely pushed off and out of the way. Maxie shook his head, reaching to Archie and gripping his shirt tightly. "Archie, I can't- Not when we're so _close._ "

Archie wasn't sure what to do for a few seconds before he finally settled his hands on Maxie's shoulders. "That doesn't mean you get to neglect yourself like you used to do. Maxie, it's been _three days_."

"I'm not- _I'm not._ Just- If we can do this, it'll change everything! Don't you want that?"

"Idiot. You know I do." Archie let his hands slide down to twine with Maxie's. "But just... I don't want ta see you lose yourself again."

"I won't," Maxie told him. "I'm not. Just... Just..."

"You know," Archie said quietly, giving a bit of a grin. "It sounds like you could use a bodyguard."

He watched Maxie peek back up at him. "You would do that again?"

"If it's the only way ta keep you out of trouble, then fuck yes I would," Archie laughed, pulling Maxie closer to nuzzle at his cheek. "I don't think I ever really stopped protecting you."

"I think I'd really lose it, if you did," Maxie sighed softly.

"Good thing we don't have to worry about that for a while. I'm still dragging you home, though. You need food and some decent sleep."

"Just a short while."

"At least six hours of sleep. Five if you don't argue against whatever I feed you."

"Fine," he murmured as Fighter snuggled against him. Archie grinned and pulled Maxie into a soft kiss before pulling him along.

"C'mon, nerd." Maxie looked down at himself, raising an eyebrow up at Archie. Archie only blinked back and what was he all- Oh. Right. That. "You can still kind of... shuffle."

"Just carry me, already, you brute."

"And here I thought you didn't like to be carried." Archie damn near cackled as he quickly had Maxie back into his arms, tucking him close and pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"Shut up and let's just go," Maxie huffed in his hold, turning his head away. Archie stole one last kiss before doing as told, and, yeah. Things would never be the same, but they were sure as hell similar enough for him.


	3. Fruit (Siren Au)

**A/N: This is a part of our Siren AU, Maxie is a siren. A species crossed between fish and human with enchanting singing to ensnare humans, and eventually eat them. Archie is a pirate looking to awaken Kyogre to better the lives of Pokemon everywhere. The two have by now mostly been romantically involved, Maxie travelling with them to find Kyogre. ~Kas**

* * *

"Right. Gonna see what you think of a new type of food today." Maxie was sat in the mess hall, frowning at Archie as he waited for their lunch.

"New… Type? You mean a new fish?"

"No. Not fish. Or meat." Maxie frowned at Archie like he was speaking some new language. "Have you ever tried any fruit?"

"That is… Plant, yes? Yes, we have plant."

"It's… sort of a plant? Not really." Archie took a seat beside Maxie before pulling out the apple he had grabbed with a flourish. "It's an apple." Maxie frowned. Archie watched his nails shift into talons- Oh.

Maxie blinked, specks of juice now splattered across his face from where he'd pierced the apple- What the fuck his tongue should not be that long. Fucking _siren_ , Arceus.

"Just- Bite it. You can eat the skin of it and be fine." Maxie took a small bite, and frowned further, sticking his tongue out. "That bad?" Apples weren't _that_ bad, were they?

"It- It feels inadequate."

"I mean, they aren't really that filling, yeah," Archie nodded. Maybe Maxie's body just couldn't handle fruit.

"The feeling- It- It is not right."

"The feeling- Like, eating the apple or just the taste of the apple?"

"Eating it."

"The… The texture of it is weird?" Archie supposed he would be a little weirded out by an apple if he only ate fish and human before now.

"I suppose? Yes… Yes. that's it."

"Wanna try another bite?" Maxie huffed and turned his head away. "Aw, come on, just one more bite."

"No."

"Not even for me?" Archie whined, leaning against Maxie and trying to look as convincing as possible. He was hoping that a bit of fresh fruit might be better than just a constant diet of fish and human, but, well. Siren.

" _Hmph._ " But, ah, Maxie was the youngest in his family. He was used to always getting his way.

"Fine. I have more you can try later."

"I doubt it is any more edible."

"We'll find out." Sneaking a kiss from Maxie, Archie stood up, and, right. There were at least four different kinds of fruit on the ship right now and they were due to dock tomorrow. This could be fun.


	4. Darkness (Pre-Game)

**A/N: Not much to say about this one aside from this could be imagined as how Archie got his x-scar on his face. Happy (American) Thanksgiving! ~Kas**

* * *

It wasn't right. They had been home for almost a day now and yet Archie was still so _pale_. He shouldn't look that pale. He should be running around and shouting and causing as much trouble as possible, not… not lying in bed and being still. Fighter was curled up on Archie's side, so protective over him, but still shooting those distrusting glances to Maxie now and then. Not that Maxie could blame her. It was his fault to begin with that any of this fell on Archie. If it hadn't have been for him and his big mouth…

It wasn't supposed to end up like this. It was a simple job for Team Rocket that should have taken them a day or two at most. It had all gone so fucking wrong, though, and Archie had jumped in front of Maxie without even fucking _pausing_ \- This was his fault. If he hadn't egged them on so much- If he had just kept his words to himself for once then Archie wouldn't be in this fucking bed. But… Fuck, if he hadn't left the damn base to begin with. He'd been so insistent on his own place, and they had to send a bodyguard with him. If it hadn't been for him, they would have been safe in the Team Rocket base, and Maxie probably would be a top scientist, and maybe Archie would be training new interns- Fuck, it had all gone so wrong.

This was all his fault and- "If you take another drink from that fucking flask, I'm throwing it out the window."

"Archie," Maxie startled, his drink sloshing slightly. "You're awake." The response this time was more of a groan than anything, Fighter whining and pacing back and forth on the bed.

"'M fine, 'm fine." Debatable. He still looked like death warmed over and his accent was so strong even Maxie was having a bit of trouble parsing out his words here and there. "Lie to me and tell me that's at least half full." Maxie gave him a small nod, setting it aside and running a hand through Archie's hair.

"How do you feel?" The other was arching into his touch at once, tension leaving him as he sighed softly.

"Like I got sat on by a Snorlax. I take it I look like it, too?"

"Oh- Oh, Archie, no, you look _fine._ " Aside from… Maxie supposed that wouldn't ever heal.

"Oh, Arceus, I'm dying, aren't I? I have to be dying if you're complimenting me like _that_."

"Archie, _shut up,_ would you? You're not dying," Maxie sighed. "You're going to be fine."

"And how long have you been telling yourself that?" Archie's voice was quiet and still as the ocean he loved before a storm and oh, dear. "You've been blaming yourself, haven't you."

"Archie…" He shook his head, taking his glasses off. "If it weren't for me-"

"Nope, no- Fuck that. _Fuck_ that." Archie was sitting up and before Maxie knew it he was being pulled onto the bed - although Archie struggled a bit more than he normally would. "I knew what I was doing and none of this is your fault."

"Archie, if it weren't for me, they wouldn't have fought us to begin with!"

"Don't care." Archie wrapped an arm around Maxie's waist and pulled him in close, nosing behind his ear. "Still not your fault I'm hurt." Maxie sighed, only turning away from him. "Keep this up and I won't let you play nurse while I'm stuck in this bed."

"'Play nurse?' Is that what I've been doing?" There was choked laugher from behind him, but it was hard to get annoyed when Archie was pulling him closer and rubbing against him.

"Nevermind. I'll talk you out of your spiral later. Just- Just stay here, yeah?"

"I'm not leaving, Archie," Maxie murmured, back to playing with his hair.

"Good," Archie sighed, slumping against him and looking almost ready to fall back asleep. "Thank Arceus you're selfish."

" _What?!_ "


End file.
